José Ángel Iribar was the great goalkeeper of Athletic Bilbao and a proud symbol of Basque football, a commanding and agile presence who guarded the San Mamés goal for the better part of two decades. Calm and consistent, he became the standard against which Spanish goalkeepers of his era were measured.
He was a fixture of the Spain side that won the 1964 European Championship on home soil, and his loyalty and longevity made him an enduring figure in the club’s identity.